From the heart of Asbury Park, NJ

Housing Coalition Presents Ordinance for City Consideration

The Asbury Park Affordable Housing Coalition, in conjunction with Fair Share Housing New Jersey, has written an Affordable Housing Ordinance for consideration by the City Council of Asbury Park and any social justice oriented developers.

This ordinance, according to a release from the coalition, would require all new buildings of over 10 units, including major reconstruction, to include at least 20 percent affordable housing.

This inclusion of affordable housing would apply to all sectors of the city and would require that all units be on site, with no off site affordable housing units.

The Affordable Housing Coalition and Fair Share Housing New Jersey support the principles outlined in the City’s Master Plan that affordable housing should be provided all over the city, including the waterfront and not just in select areas.

For purposes of this press release and the proposed ordinance, affordable housing means housing for those with very low incomes (30 percent or less than median), those with low incomes (50 percent or less than median) and those with moderate incomes (80 percent or less than median).

The city is moving forward with this with the Boston Way and Renaissance Projects, which are both made up of a mix of market units and at least 85 affordable housing units.

Both of these developments are in the SouthWest quadrant of the city.

The city’s short-term rental ordinance helps to make sure that there will be more year-round and affordable housing available in Asbury Park and is a step in the right direction.

“We believe our ordinance is another step,” said coalition member Derek Minno-Bloom. “We look forward to working with the City Council of Asbury Park to make adequate affordable housing a reality.”

Bloom is a social justice activist and works at Trinity Church.

“We want to live in a City that is on the forefront of housing justice issues. We want to be part of a city that not only understands and honors the affordable housing it is required to have, but rises above and creates more affordable housing than the minimum required,” he said.